Seahawks add veteran Wade Smith to bolster offensive line

The Seattle Seahawks on Monday welcomed veteran offensive lineman Wade Smith to training camp, adding him to the preseason roster after waiving second-year guard Michael Bowie over the weekend.

Smith, 33, was present at Monday’s practice at the VMAC in Renton, where he was playing mainly at left guard, according to reports, despite being listed by the Seahawks as a tackle. Smith announced his own signing Monday on Twitter.

Offensive lineman Wade Smith was a starter for most of his four years with the Houston Texans. (Bob Leverone/AP Photo)

“We’re hoping that Wade Smith and Cory Brandon can bring us something,” Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said after practice Monday. “We want to continue to work to make this position as competitive as possible; we have a lot of young guys in this spot. And these guys — Wade, in particular — brings a lot of experience and tremendous flexibility.

“He has started at five different spots, so that kind of flexibility might fit with us. He’s a real good guy and smart guy and all that. I think that helps us as we try to mold this thing together.”

A third-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in the 2003 NFL draft, Smith has played in the league for 10 years. He was the Houston Texans’ starting left guard from halfway through the 2009 season through last year, and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2012.

A former tackle and tight end at the University of Memphis, Smith started all 16 games of his rookie season in Miami as a tackle, but saw diminished playing time the next year and his following two seasons with the New York Jets. He started about half of his games in 2008 and ’09 with the Kansas City Chiefs before becoming an everyday starter for Houston in 2010.

He has struggled with injuries over the past few years but didn’t miss a game. He played through broken ribs in 2012, and underwent arthroscopic knee surgery during the 2013 offseason but returned in time for the Texans’ opener.

Houston, however, did not re-sign him as a free agent this past spring, freeing him up to find a new team. The Seahawks are now giving him a chance to compete for a roster spot on Seattle’s offensive line, one of the main areas of focus this offseason for the Super Bowl champions.